Common European security and defence policy ESDP: rapid reaction facility

PURPOSE : to create a rapid reaction mechanism in the context of the EU's European Security and Defence Policy. COMMUNITY MEASURE : Council Regulation 381/2001/EC creating a rapid-reaction mechanism. CONTENT : the aim of this Regulation is to create a mechanism, designed to allow the Community to respond in a rapid, efficient and flexible manner, to situations of urgency or the crisis or to the emergence of crisis. The Rapid Reaction Mechanism builds upon all the existing legal instruments. Moreover, such a mechanism would also facilate the the mobilisation and rapid deployment of specific financial resources. The Mechanism may be triggered when in the beneficiary countries concerned there occur situations of crisis or emerging crisis, situations posing a threat to law and order, the security and safety of individuals, situations threatening to escalate into armed conflict or to destabilise the country and where such situations are likely to jeopardise the benefical effects of assistance and cooperation policies and programmes, their effectiveness and/or conditions for their proper implementation. Implementing partners eligible under this Regulation may include authorities of the Member Staes or of beneficiary countries and their agencies, regional and international organisations and their agencies, NGOs and public and private operators with appropriate specialised expertise and experience. The Commission may concluded financial agreements or framework agreements with relevant government agencies, international organisations, NGOs and public or private operators on the basis of their ability to carry out rapid interventions in crisis management. In situations where unique personal expertise is needed, or where the credibility of the operation and the confidence of the parties is linked to a specific person or organisation, the Commision may sign contracts with individual organisations or operators, even if no framework agreement have been previously concluded. With regard to the financing, each year the budgetary authority shall set an overall ceiling for the funding of interventions, within the limits of the financial perspective. The implementation period provided for under this Regulation shall be for a limited period which may not exceed six months. The Commission shall inform the Council forwith, following its decision, of the approved actions and projects, notably by indiecating the amounts involved, their nature and the partners concerned. The Commission shall ensure that action taken under the Rapid Reaction Mechanism is effectively coordinated, including on-the-spot coordination, with action by the Member States, in order to increase the coherence, complementarity and effectiveness of the interventions. To that end, the Commission and the Member States shall exchange between themselves all useful information on the actions they implement or intend to implement. The Commission shall promote coordination and cooperaton with international and regional organisations. Lastly, before, 31 December 2005, the Council shall review theRegulation. To that end, and at the latest six months beforehand, the Commission shall present to the Council and overall evaluation report of its implementation, together with any proposals for the future of the Regulation. ENTRY INTO FORCE : 2 March 2001. The Regulation shall apply until 31.12.2006.�